You could install either over this but the issues arise with all kinds of things like the appliances will no longer fit the doors will need to be made shorter even the stairs will need to be adjusted sometimes. Waht I am asaying is the floor becomes too high. Removing tile is a huge mess but IMO the only way to do it right. I can for sure see whay you want to do this but do it right.

As much as you hate the tile, it has residual value for the home. A stone-tile offers a value of $20/sf. You can figure out how much you paid for the floor (in the mortgage) by figuring out how much square footage you have.

Now let's look at vinyl flooring put down instead of the tile. Vinyl adds about $3/sf to the value of the home. That means vinyl produces a REDUCTION in the value of your home....but roughly $15-$17/sf. That's a BIG down grade.

The other issue with laying vinyl ON TOP of those tiles = you must have smooth, flat and even. Stone tiles are HORRIBLE as subfloors. They are the epitome of 'lumpy'. You would have to coat the floor in concrete (a pro would have to come in, scarify the stone surface, and then coat with primer so the concrete sticks to it). Once the floor has received 1/2" worth of concrete, you can then lay the vinyl or laminate or anything you want. But the stone tile will be ruined = lose all the value they carry with them.

But then your stairs are out of code....and that gets VERY expensive to fix.

If you paint you lose the inherent value in the stone tile AND you create a surface that will begin to wear away inside of a few years (2-5 years). We call this patina. Most call it chipping.

How long before you can save enough money to remove the tiles (stone takes about $3-$5/sf to remove) and then replace with something just as valuable = wood?

@ S J McCarthy : is carpet tile a realistic possibility as a covering for stone floors? Or any other type of carpet that doesn't require nailed-down tack strips?

I used to have slate tiles in my kitchen. had it all removed for wood. best thing ever.

Slate isn't as difficult as ceramic or porcelain tile to remove since it's softer. not saying it won't make a mess, it will. just saying it comes up a bit easier than the others.

Are you going to live in this house for awhile? If so, get what you like. Although, I don't understand this fascination with vinyl planks. like SJ said, it's a downgrade. If you're going to spend all that money and go through all that mess, at least do an upgrade!

in the meantime, why not just throw down some rugs or runners? you could do a wider one to cover that black outline area, and do some runners for the narrow aisles

do the thinner ones if you have to. I know the tripping police advisors will be along to shoot this one down.

@BethH - Do you know where that rug is from in your second photo? It would be perfect for my daughter's nursery.

design girl,, sure! I think this is it. (numerous places sell it) Maui jute simple border white rug

Nuloom Jute Simple Border Area Rug, White 8'x10' · More Info

https://rugs.com/white-5x8-braided-jute-area-rug-6277850

@BethH - Thanks.

nuLoom has a ton of these rugs that she could use

I like the flat black one too. this would be nice in between the black border of the tile

houzz has it. Jute and sisal Rigo striped area rug.

Probably in some of the tiles is a color like this, lighter... try swatches, lay blouse or towel to experiment with colors you like, any .. but tan-earthy tiles with dark red or burgundy should be fine.

Solid Color Indoor Area Rugs, Burgundy, 5'x7' · More Info

Thanks everyone. Love the jute rugs!

If we did remove the tiles, what would you suggest? Would love a lighter stone floor but worry about the practicality. We have dogs and kids, and a labrador that swims all day then runs through the house 😩

What's wrong with more stone? Stone is HIGHLY desirable and very valuable. And it will outlive you and many dogs. Stone tiles can be refinished...which is to say you can have them ground and polished should they look nasty.

Maybe...

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Alexander-Home-Bradford-Modern-Abstract-Area-Rug/32435994/product.html?lyceumGuid=beacaf20-0031-4a33-a8ca-09b140535f0f&option=60128319&osp=true&recidx=0&recset=2c00e2d9-10d8-4385-af25-4e5fda3a5ff4&refccid=Y4CHTEXDLNF3QV2EKX3UPRWI2M

This in a few colors -

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Handmade-Natural-Fiber-Barbados-Chunky-Thick-Jute-Rug-6-x-9/4382770/product.html?kwds=rust%20henna&option=9515243&recalg=null&recidx=1&recset=e4751b15-56d9-4940-b210-cb2457edf6fa&refccid=M4JLX3SCKW6KCLCNPWAINTXPNI&rfmt=&searchidx=1

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Natural-Fiber-Pacific-Marble-Beige-Sisal-Rug-9-x-12/11041143/product.html?option=17044454&recalg=954%2C930&recguid=aa1e0f5b-eb7f-4116-ab9f-f553bf9fb232&recidx=3&recset=cdc86540-01da-48d8-b87f-60ff06716ee7&refccid=YDDOW6LPDQXZMFKOHWBNCKPZDA

@SJ McCarthy thanks but isn’t removing the brown slate/stone and replacing it with a lighter stone being silly? Well that’s what my hubby will tell me ;) Is the dark brown ugly or am I being unnecessarily critical?

Is it the dark colour that bothers you or is it that it is brown? Would you prefer another dark colour? Is it the shape and size of the tiles?

I understand not liking what you have currently, to me it reads orangey brown and the tile colour and size would both bother me. The black border tiles don't bother me nearly as much and I think black or a dark grey would look really spectacular in your hallway, with the white trim etc and walls.

I would get a large size, at least 12 X 24, or maybe 18 X 36 and something a little less than perfect looking. I mean, something a bit rustic, not polished and high gloss.

Here are some examples that I think might work in your hall anyway. You mentioned you have it throughout the house, but we haven't seen pictures of the rest.

I love this one....I've seen this one installed and it is gorgeous. Some shade variation and slightly imperfect edges etc - it looks and feels fantastic and IMO won't fight with anything else.

Marble & Limestone-Slate – Toronto Tiles | Saltillo Imports Inc. Toronto · More Info

Maybe a little too dark for your space and I don't think I'd use the light coloured grout they've used in the picture, but this could also be very nice.

Marble & Limestone-Slate – Toronto Tiles | Saltillo Imports Inc. Toronto · More Info

This one reads a bit blue/brown, and may not suit but the subtle colours and some veining are really quite pleasant.

Marble & Limestone-Slate – Toronto Tiles | Saltillo Imports Inc. Toronto · More Info

Love this one...enough texture to be interesting but not shouting at you.

Marble & Limestone-Slate – Toronto Tiles | Saltillo Imports Inc. Toronto · More Info

There might be a lot of veining in this, you'd need to see it and decide how much is too much.

12''x24'' Pietra Piasentina Flamed | Ciot · More Info

A very uniform colour in this one but still very nice.

Basalt Grey Stone - Tiles | Ciot · More Info

My preference would be the first picture I posted - I honestly love that tile and I'd have it in my house if I had a spot for it.

Thanks @mvcanada! Yes it's more the dark brown/orange tones that bother me. Have often thought if it was black slate it would look way better. Which is why i wondered if I could paint it. LOVE that first black tile you have suggested but fear hubby will think i've lost it if I tell him I want to change the "dark tile" for black.

Would a larger, lighter tile not create more light in the house?

@ madsdaly

I'm probably the last person to give you advice on what to do with stone ;-P When I visited the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel, all I did was look at the FLOORS for 2 hours! I glanced at the ceiling once or twice...but after that I was fascinated with the marble mosaic that covers the floor!

Aside from that, I don't mind your floors. I'm not a huge fan of brown or orange but I recognize the beauty of your floor. Even though the colours are not my favourite I would personally keep them. They are quite beautiful.

I understand hubby's reluctance to swap out one 'stone' for another. To him it probably sounds ridiculous. But then again if we listened to our partner's 'that's rediculous' statements humanity would still be living in the Stone Age.

The other thing you want to remember: 30% of men have some form of colour blindness. Yep. One out of three! It is entirely possible that he can't see what the problem is because he literally can't see the colour.

Anyway, the question you asked was about a lighter colour vs. a darker colour. I'm a fan of light and airy. So I would naturally tend towards lighter flooring...or at least a mid-tone. Yes it will make the house lighter in tone. Floors reflect (or remove) light from the house.

If you are content with a dark slate I think it would look stunning. Your stairs are dark which means a darker floor would look beautiful.

How much of the stone-tile do you have? Is it ONLY in the hallway?

I understand the thought process that lighter coloured tiles would be brighter. But in the picture you've shown, I'm not seeing a shortage of brightness, what I'm seeing is "ugly" flooring (sorry to be harsh).

You mentioned dogs and kids and that alone would make me shy away from a light coloured floor. I'm not suggesting a dark black tile, but something dark grey or taupey grey, with some minimal colour variation and a bit "distressed" in nature. That way, dust and dirt won't show too much and they should be easy to clean up with a damp mop or swiffer etc.

You could get a few sample tiles and lay them out in the hall to see if they will work well in the space. These are going to be heavy tiles but I think you should get maybe 5-10 tiles and lay them out in a pattern that pleases you. Not just one, because if there is a colour variation, which I would expect with real stone, then you want to have an idea of the variation.

Seeing is believing, and hopefully your husband will get on board once he sees tiles live in the space and hopefully how much better it looks.

With a dog that swims all day and runs through the house I would embrace the slate flooring you have. I would decorate each room with area rugs that can be cleaned periodically. When area rugs are laid over hardwood many times the rugs and furnishings become the star, where your eyes look first. I have beautiful rugs, furnishings and art in my all hardwood home and the hardwood just blends into the background. However, if money is no object you can do whatever you want, who cares if it makes a mess, it won’t be your problem.

If you hate it (and I'm not fond of it either) then you and your husband need to bite the bullet and remove it. All of it. Yes, you can do rugs and runners throughout over the house, which is a temporary fix. But hating the look of the floors of your house, to me, is an unhappy household. I would look into wood flooring but if you feel vinyl planks will save your sanity, go for it. I know other families with kids and big dogs and they love their vinyl flooring. This is a HUGE visual part of your home. You're entitled to be happy.

With stone flooring, it's best to consider functionality as well as appearance. Large dogs as well as any kind of heavy foot traffic can increase the needed maintenance of flooring. We find slate very durable and best when sealed with an enhancing sealer instead of topical sealers. Topical sealers tend to show scratching easier and allows soils to imbed into the sealer. Deep cleaning slate with topical sealers usually provide best results stripping the sealer which is difficult thus expensive. With enhancing or clear penetrating sealers applied the slate is much easier to maintain. If the slate flakes or has a deep scratch, it is easily sanded out and a quick sealer touch up returns the stone to match the rest of the floor.

As I understand your post, color is an issue that bothers you the most. Is you decide to go to a natural stone of a lighter color, just be aware that limestone/travertine flooring are calcite stones and they will etch from dog slobber where you do not have that problem with your slate. Again, aesthetics are important but functionality should always be considered. As mentioned above, natural stone is sustainable and not unlike all floors, require some kind of maintenance. Visit the Natural Stone Institute website to learn about the characteristics of stone.

Personally, I like your floor. If your floors are enhanced, you can soften the colors buy having them deep cleaned and a penetrating/impregnating sealer applied. Talk to a good local stone restoration company to get recommendations and pricing.

I've read the comments above and realized I forgot to include the slate tiles that I do have. We have brushed slate and really love it. Now, it is called Montauk black, but I would consider it more grey than black. But you'd need to go see it in person and see colour variation.

Because it is brushed, there are no ridges or sharp edges and it feels lovely underfoot as well.

If you are considering replacing your floors, and replacing it with more stone, you might consider underfloor heating, depending on the room.

Anyway, here are some pictures similar to what we have.

Slate Series | Natural Stones | Olympia Tile · More Info

I wouldn't use the lighter coloured grout they show here, something closer to the colour of the tile.

brushed slate floor tiles - Google Search · More Info

The actual field tile isn’t so bad. It’s the inlaid pattern that is the big issue. Have a flooring pro come in to quote removing it and just matching the field tile to fill in. That will quiet down the pattern. It’s far less than a complete demo and redo of it all.